The Black Death and Art

The previous two weeks of my blog has introduced the Black Death and how the disease spread throughout Europe as well as an introduction of how the feelings of society was portrayed through art before the Black Death. This week's entry will focus on illustrated manuscripts during the Black Death and how it exemplifies the drastically changing  attitudes of society towards both death and dying.

As mentioned in the last blog post "Medieval artists strove for realism; churches and monasteries were covered in inscriptions, paintings and sculptures that portrayed biblical scenes or saints." [1] Death in this time was not to be feared but rather revered as the natural passage between ones time on earth and their future in the afterlife. The Black Death introduced a new much harsher reality to art. The paintings below are a prime example of the new reality of art.

"Marked by crowded, paranoid compositions, ugly, menacing faces, bright colors and increased violence, Black Death art is unbalanced and uneasy. In Duccio’s Crucifixion, we can see the fierce conspiratorial expressions in the crowd as they point up to Christ, whose side is spurting blood. Mary falls against a group of women, including Mary Magdalene, ready to faint." [2]

"Orcagna was a master at spatial relationships. Christ is separated from Mary and John the Baptist, the two most famous interceders on behalf of humans by panels. At the same time, the panels divide us from the heavenly scene, making us more aware that we are looking at an illusion, a painting. This is about as close as we can come to accessing God’s grace and mercy."[3]

The big question is not only how but why did the art change from grandiose images to a more macabre fascination with death? Well it can be argued that it all changed with the change in attitudes towards the Church. The Church's inability to prevent the spread of the plague and its monetary growth during this time (presumably due to donations from the sick and dying) led many to turn their backs on the Church - "the loss of esteem for the Church." [4] There are a few other theories that would align with the loss of esteem for the Church. The noble, the clergy, and the wealthy were not untouched by the plague; it didn't matter the social standing of the individual, all exposed died.

 

(left to right: The Fall of the Damned - 1620, The Last Judgement - 1505, The Temptation of St, Anthony - 1510-1513)

http://www.historyofpainters.com/black_death.htm

Although the images above are at least one hundred years past the Black Death they clearly show the changes in society that was mentioned above. E.L. Skip Knox from Boise State University would define these images as a part of the danse macabre:

"The motif shows skeletons mingling with living men in daily scenes. We see peasants at a harvest festival, or workmen at a construction site, or hunters in a forests. And in each scene, mingled with the living, are skeletons: skeleton horses carry corpses to the hunt; peasant girls dance with death; a skeleton receives an infant from its baptismal font. The juxtapositions are shocking, for they catch us at our merriest moments and remind us of horror and loss. It's a cruel sort of art. It is even more striking when you realize that these works were commissioned. These are no paintings wrung out by tortured souls in isolation. These are works specifically requested by churches or monarchs or city councils, and they were displayed in public places. Not only did artists render these frightening images, their patrons paid for them, displayed them, and ordered more."[5]

Although it won't be covered in my blog, I think it's necessary to point out that the Black Death not only had an impact on paintings. Architecture including gravestones and tombs were also affected during this transition into realism. I think it's important to note this during my research as it may lead to some more clues on how society reacted to death and dying both during and after the Black Death. [6]

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[1] "The Influence of Plague on Art from the Late 14th to the 17th Century ." MSU Entomology Group. http://entomology.montana.edu/historybug/YersiniaEssays/Medrano.htm (accessed September 27, 2013).

[2] "The Black Death Theory of Art: Examples of a Harsh New Reality?." The Catholic University of America. faculty.cua.edu/pennington/churchhistory220/lectureten/blackdeath/Art%20Page%202.htm (accessed September 27, 2013).

[3] "The Black Death Theory of Art"

[4] "The Black Death." Utah State University . www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320Hist&Civ/PP/slides/06blackdeath.pdf (accessed September 27, 2013).

[5] Knox, E.L Skip. "The Black Death." History Sites by Knox. http://europeanhistory.boisestate.edu/westciv/plague/19.shtml (accessed September 27, 2013).

[6] "The Influence of Plague on Art from the Late 14th to the 17th Century ."

Art Before the Black Death

It's no secret that the Black Death changed the way that people felt about death and dying; this change can be seen in the illustrated manuscripts that were produced during and after the plague. However, I feel that in order to understand the transition in attitudes towards death it's important to understand how society viewed death before the plague. As previously mentioned in my last blog post, the Black Death hit its peak in 1347 and lasted until 1351; what I failed to mention and what is equally important is the fact that the plague had originated much earlier than that. Throughout the 14th century the plague had spread throughout Europe; cities would be wrecked by the disease than recover and wrecked later again, Europeans had already began the transition on their attitudes of death.

Before getting to the transition I wanted to take the time and research some of the styles that came before then so that I could get a better understanding of how art changed. 

http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/churchhistory220/lectureten/blackdeath/art%20page%201.htm

"In the 1300’s, renowned Italian artists such as Giotto painted solid graceful figures, using tranquil pastel tones and a three-dimensional, balanced sense of light and space." [1] 

Virtually of art before the peak of the Black Death was painted in this style. According to Medrano-Cabral the "Medieval artist strove for realism; churches and monasteries were covered in inscriptions, paintings and sculptures that portrayed biblical scenes or saints." [2] Death in this time was not to be feared but rather revered as the natural passage between ones time on earth and their future in the afterlife. When the plague began to spread across Europe, that attitude quickly changed. 

http://entomology.montana.edu/historybug/YersiniaEssays/Medrano.htm

"Many sought personal salvation and ways to reach spiritual enlightenment. Among the examples is the mural painting, “The Procession of Saint Gregory” ca. 1300."[3]

The Black Death and it's fatality rate changed the way that society viewed death. Instead of being a natural passage to the afterlife, it was now viewed as God's punishment for the sins of society; death was feared.

"The Black Death powerfully reinforced realism in art. The fear of hell became horribly real and the promise of heaven seemed remote. Poor and rich were left with a sense of urgency to ensure their salvation. Educated rich men and women read about the Day of Judgment" [4]

Understanding this change is important for the latter stages of this research project and blog. These early paintings of nobility and godliness would soon be replaced with images that depicted the dying as what they were; religious symbols such as demons, dragons, the grim reaper, etc...are present and represent the change of fear towards death with the reality that hell was real. It would take many years for this to take precedent in art but it would affect art for hundreds more.

Next weeks blog entry will focus on the transition and will include more artwork and a more detailed definition of the transition between the non death fearing to the plague ridden, death fearing people. I will also try to locate some literary sources that will give first hand accounts of the feelings of death during the plague in order to better understand why the illustrated manuscripts changed in their depictions and meanings of death.

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[1]"The Black Death and Art." The Catholic University of America. faculty.cua.edu/pennington/churchhistory220/lectureten/blackdeath/art%20page%201.htm (accessed September 21, 2013).

[2]  "The Influence of Plague on Art from the Late 14th to the 17th Century ." MSU Entomology Group. http://entomology.montana.edu/historybug/YersiniaEssays/Medrano.htm (accessed September 23, 2013).

[3] "The Influence of Plague on Art from the Late 14th to the 17th Century

[4] "The Influence of Plague on Art from the Late 14th to the 17th Century

[5] "The Effect of the Black Death on Medieval Artists and art." The History of Art and The Curious Lives of Famous Painters. http://www.historyofpainters.com/black_death.htm (accessed September 23, 2013)

The Impact of the Black Death

Throughout history illustrated manuscripts have been made to illustrate societies opinions on a variety of subjects; one which is death. In particular, my topic, the Black Death is one of the best examples of how art illustrates the feelings of a society. 

Before we get into the manuscripts specifically, let us first understand what the Black Death was and how it impacted society. 

The Black Death was a period of two years in which a disease known as the bubonic plague struck medieval Europe. Between 1347 and 1351 an estimated 1.5 million people were killed from this plague which was spread by fleas carried by rats.[1] Unsanitary conditions in the towns and cities across Europe allowed this disease to spread rapidly without much resistance; the disease itself was terrifying. Visible symptoms of the plague were noticed by Boccaccio of Florence, Italy who stated that “The first signs of the plague were lumps in the groin or armpits. After this, livid black spots appeared on the arms and this and other parts of the body. Few recovered. Almost all died within three days usually without any fever.”[2]

Below is an crudely animated image of how the Black Plague spread across Europe. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Blackdeath2.gif

Society during the Black Death not only had to fear the plague but the effects from it as well. Widespread death from the plague caused other problems such as starvation and inflation. Social unrest from these issues had a profound blow to the system of life, mainly the Feudal System. No other time in history is the blow to society so well exhibited as it is with the illustrated manuscripts that came after the plague. 

"Artists' emphasis on the democratic nature of death, which steals away both rich and poor, nobleman and peasant, pagan and priest, opened the door wide to a general questioning of the culture on which the Medieval synthesis had rested, such as the divine right of kings and the class constructs which tied serfs to the land. Offering little in the way of help—much less explanation or solace—these postulates began to crumble."[3] 

Throughout this semester and my research project, I will share my findings and try to provide my readers with interesting and factual information alongside images in an attempt to answer my research question – How did illustrated manuscripts depict the attitudes of society both before and after the Black Death?

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1[] "1320: Section 6: The Black Death." Welcome to Utah State University." http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320Hist&Civ/chapters/06PLAGUE.htm (accessed September 15, 2013).

[2] "The Black Death of 1348 to 1350." History Learning Site". http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/black_death_of_1348_to_1350.htm (accessed September 15, 2013). 

[3]"1320: Section 6: The Black Death." Welcome to Utah State University."